Ten years after the referendum, Britain is poorer, less influential, and less connected than it might have been. The time has come to make the case for re-joining the European Union. A night I will never forget Ten years ago this morning Britain awoke to a changed political landscape and a weakened place in the… Continue reading Ten years after the Brexit vote, the UK’s future belongs back in Europe
Pride matters more than ever
Every year, around this time, somebody asks whether Pride is still necessary. It is a question that usually comes from one of two places. Sometimes it is asked in good faith by people who look around them and see same-sex marriage, openly LGBTQ+ public figures, rainbow lanyards in workplaces, and Pride flags flying above civic… Continue reading Pride matters more than ever
Kemi Badenoch is wrong about the Public Sector Equality Duty
There are many legitimate debates to be had about how government works. How much regulation is too much? How should public services balance competing demands? When does process become bureaucracy? These are all fair questions. What is not a serious contribution to that debate is Kemi Badenoch’s latest attack on the Public Sector Equality Duty… Continue reading Kemi Badenoch is wrong about the Public Sector Equality Duty
Fear, Fracture, and the Future of Britain
There are moments in politics when an election result is more than an electoral event. It becomes a warning light. This week’s local election results across England, alongside contests in Scotland and Wales, feel like one of those moments. Not because voters should somehow be criticised for expressing frustration. Democracy means precisely that citizens are… Continue reading Fear, Fracture, and the Future of Britain
Protecting women’s sport: a line drawn too bluntly – my message to the IOC President
Sport must safeguard participants and ensure equity and fairness, but this must be done based on science and fact and not as a kneejerk reaction to political or cultural pressure. Today I have written to Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, whom I deeply admire and whose election I celebrated just over a… Continue reading Protecting women’s sport: a line drawn too bluntly – my message to the IOC President
British basketball’s future requires reform and major investment in the women’s game
Last night I was courtside to see the Great Britain women’s basketball team victorious over Austria in a Women’s EuroBasket 2027 qualifying match. The GB players were full of talent and enthusiasm and the atmosphere in the arena was fantastic. Hundreds of fans, including large numbers of young girls, many of whom were clearly basketball… Continue reading British basketball’s future requires reform and major investment in the women’s game
Beyond medals: why the Paralympics change the world
Standing in Cortina d’Ampezzo at the start of the Winter Paralympic Games this week, surrounded by athletes, officials and supporters from across the world, I was reminded once again why the Paralympic movement matters so profoundly. There are sporting events that entertain us.There are sporting events that inspire us.And then there are the Paralympic Games,… Continue reading Beyond medals: why the Paralympics change the world
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Justice must not be a casualty of convenience
Yesterday’s debate in the House of Commons on the Courts and Tribunals Bill has prompted significant concern among those who care deeply about the integrity of our criminal justice system. Having served for more than twenty-three years as a Justice of the Peace in London, including eighteen years as a Presiding Justice in some of… Continue reading Courts and Tribunals Bill: Justice must not be a casualty of convenience
Stop the War: The case for law, restraint and independent British leadership
Last Saturday, I wrote a piece titled War Is Not Liberation: A Plea for Restraint, Law and the Protection of Civilians. In it I argued that military escalation in the Middle East risked inflicting terrible harm on ordinary people while undermining the framework of international law that exists to restrain the use of force. Sadly,… Continue reading Stop the War: The case for law, restraint and independent British leadership
War is not liberation: a plea for restraint, law, and the protection of civilians
The past hours have brought deeply alarming news of military strikes by the United States and Israel against targets inside Iran, followed by retaliatory missile attacks by Iran across the region. The speed with which this escalation has unfolded is frightening. The human consequences, as always, are borne not by political leaders but by ordinary… Continue reading War is not liberation: a plea for restraint, law, and the protection of civilians
C. E. Lord OBE 